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Insight, 03/2013

Insight March 2013 A Publication of the Indian Nations Council of Governments 1

Insight March 2013 | A Publication of the Indian Nations Council of Governments
file:///Y|/...rch%202013%20%20A%20Publication%20of%20the%20Indian%20Nations%20Council%20of%20Governments.htm[4/15/2013 8:54:27 AM]
MARCH
2013
Funding Provides First-in-the-Nation
Public Safety Advancements for Tulsa Region
Hostages are being held at gunpoint in a bank in west Broken Arrow. The Broken Arrow
Police Special Operations Team is preparing to forcibly enter the building to rescue the
hostages. Traffic in the area is snarled and a crowd has gathered outside the building. Tulsa
Police officers have arrived to help. Broken Arrow officers can see the Tulsa officers, but
they cannot talk together on their radios. Tactical information, suspect descriptions, hostage
location, and other critical information cannot be shared between the two departments. The
departments operate in a vacuum.
This scenario illustrates the perilous struggle to
communicate among emergency responders from different
jurisdictions that is common across the country and, until
now, in the Tulsa area. Tulsa emergency services use the
Motorola 800 MHz radio system, and Broken Arrow uses
the Harris 800 MHz radio system. Because of two different
radio manufacturers, establishing essential radio
communications during mutual aid has been time
consuming, complex, unpredictable, and sometimes
impossible.
Today, thanks to an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant, Harris 800 MHz radios
and Motorola 800 MHz radios are directly linked without relays or patches. “This is
groundbreaking”, says Mark Ketchum, Communications Systems Manager for Broken
Arrow and Project Manager for the UASI grant. “For the first time in the history of this
nation the Motorola and Harris radio systems have been linked for on-going, live,
instantaneous communications.”
The Tulsa UASI grant, administered by INCOG,
funded the $480,000 project, and Mr. Ketchum as
well as radio technicians from Tulsa worked for
over a year to link the two radio systems. This link
In this Issue:
UASI funding Provides
First-in-the-Nation Public Safety
Advancements for Tulsa Region
NARC Federal Transportation
Information Session Conducted
in Tulsa
Tulsa Area Clean Cities Receives
$750,000 for Alternative Fuel
Implementation and Planning Projects
Public Safety, Water, and Street
Resurfacing Projects Funded
with 2013 REAP Grants
Celebrating Our Region's Seniors
During Older Americans Month
2013 Senior Day at the Capitol
FAST Forward Study Recommends
City's First Bus Rapid Transit
Ozone Alert! 23rd Season
Runs May through September
Meeting Scheduled to Discuss
Federal Alternative Fuel
Tax Incentives
Bike 2 Work Events
Scheduled May 13-17, 2013
Population Estimates Released
for the Tulsa Metropolitan
Statistical Area
INCOG Participates in
GIS Day at the
Oklahoma State Capitol
TMAPC Officers
Elected for 2013
INCOG Officers Elected and
Executive Committee Named
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Insight March 2013 | A Publication of the Indian Nations Council of Governments
file:///Y|/...rch%202013%20%20A%20Publication%20of%20the%20Indian%20Nations%20Council%20of%20Governments.htm[4/15/2013 8:54:27 AM]
MARCH
2013
Funding Provides First-in-the-Nation
Public Safety Advancements for Tulsa Region
Hostages are being held at gunpoint in a bank in west Broken Arrow. The Broken Arrow
Police Special Operations Team is preparing to forcibly enter the building to rescue the
hostages. Traffic in the area is snarled and a crowd has gathered outside the building. Tulsa
Police officers have arrived to help. Broken Arrow officers can see the Tulsa officers, but
they cannot talk together on their radios. Tactical information, suspect descriptions, hostage
location, and other critical information cannot be shared between the two departments. The
departments operate in a vacuum.
This scenario illustrates the perilous struggle to
communicate among emergency responders from different
jurisdictions that is common across the country and, until
now, in the Tulsa area. Tulsa emergency services use the
Motorola 800 MHz radio system, and Broken Arrow uses
the Harris 800 MHz radio system. Because of two different
radio manufacturers, establishing essential radio
communications during mutual aid has been time
consuming, complex, unpredictable, and sometimes
impossible.
Today, thanks to an Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant, Harris 800 MHz radios
and Motorola 800 MHz radios are directly linked without relays or patches. “This is
groundbreaking”, says Mark Ketchum, Communications Systems Manager for Broken
Arrow and Project Manager for the UASI grant. “For the first time in the history of this
nation the Motorola and Harris radio systems have been linked for on-going, live,
instantaneous communications.”
The Tulsa UASI grant, administered by INCOG,
funded the $480,000 project, and Mr. Ketchum as
well as radio technicians from Tulsa worked for
over a year to link the two radio systems. This link
In this Issue:
UASI funding Provides
First-in-the-Nation Public Safety
Advancements for Tulsa Region
NARC Federal Transportation
Information Session Conducted
in Tulsa
Tulsa Area Clean Cities Receives
$750,000 for Alternative Fuel
Implementation and Planning Projects
Public Safety, Water, and Street
Resurfacing Projects Funded
with 2013 REAP Grants
Celebrating Our Region's Seniors
During Older Americans Month
2013 Senior Day at the Capitol
FAST Forward Study Recommends
City's First Bus Rapid Transit
Ozone Alert! 23rd Season
Runs May through September
Meeting Scheduled to Discuss
Federal Alternative Fuel
Tax Incentives
Bike 2 Work Events
Scheduled May 13-17, 2013
Population Estimates Released
for the Tulsa Metropolitan
Statistical Area
INCOG Participates in
GIS Day at the
Oklahoma State Capitol
TMAPC Officers
Elected for 2013
INCOG Officers Elected and
Executive Committee Named
Tweet Share this Page:
Share